By Carol Mowdy Bond
Contributing Writer
Ken Wilkins, owner of Archery Traditions of Oklahoma, 328 Elm Avenue in Yukon, is holding his annual 3-D Archery Fun School from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, September 26 to benefit a Canadian County program for youth and families.
The event helps Canadian County’s Youth and Family Services, 7565 State Highway 66 in El Reno. Friends coordinator Cindi Turner is coordinating the event.
The fundraiser will be in Archery Traditions’ 8,000 square feet indoor range.
Wilkins said, “There will be a raffle and tickets will cost $1 each. A lot of items will come in for the raffle. The raffle items do not have to be sports related. We gather donations for the raffle, and those may be items, or services.”
“This event is not a competition,” Wilkins said. “You don’t have to be an archer. It’s a ‘fun shoot.’”
Cost will be $20 for adults, $10 for children 12 and under, and $5 for equipment rental. For information about the event, or donating to the raffle, call Cindi or Carol at 405.262.6555.
“We do a couple of other fundraisers each year,” Wilkins said.
“Last weekend, we helped with school supplies that The Good Fight Church in Yukon gave out,” Wilkins said. “I helped pass out the items. We are very community focused. We help as many nonprofits as we can, such as the Yukon Veterans Museum, and Compassionate Hands.”
A native Oklahoman, Wilkins has been an archer his entire life.
He opened Archery Traditions in Yukon six years ago. He offers group and individual instruction, and leagues and tournaments throughout the year. He offers two kinds of leagues – target leagues, and unique 3D animal target leagues. He also hosts a lot of group events, including birthday parties. And he rents the facility out for non-archery events.
“We offer a lot of classes, regardless of experience or background,” Wilkins said. “Our focus is teaching and getting people into the sport. We have a Junior Olympics Program for kids. We also offer Archery 101 and Archer 201. We are very family oriented. Over half of our customers are not hunters. They are people who come for recreational or competitive purposes.”
Wilkins said, “We host an annual tournament sanctioned by the USA Archery Tournament – The Frozen Okies. We get sponsors to help with the cost of putting it on.”
Archery Traditions also has rental equipment. And Wilkins said, “We have a fully stocked Traditional Pro Shop. We have the only traditional equipment around. Traditional is our focus. But our range is open to all kinds of shooters. We have recurve and longbows, and all the accessories that go with it. Most shops don’t carry that. People even come from out of state to our shop. They often says they’ve never seen so much in one shop.”
Wilkins had to close his doors during the pandemic closures, as his isn’t an essential business.
“People used to wait in line to get in,” Wilkins said. “It’s been slow rebuilding since we opened our doors again.”
To connect with Archery Traditions, go online to ArcheryTraditionsOK.com, or call (405) 350-1100. On Facebook or Twitter go to Archery Traditions of Oklahoma.
